Gondola car.



PATENTED AUG. '7, 1906.

R. G. HUTOHINS.

GO-NDOLA GAR.

APPLIOATION FILBDPEB.12,1906.

IIEFf/llI/I/ gmw THE NORRIS PETERS cm, wnsnmahn, n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT orrrcn.

RALPH G. HUTCHINS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

'GQNDOLA CAR- other likefreight, requiring the load to be piled-higher than the sides and'ends of the car-body.

Heretofore the sides and ends of such cars haveusually been furnished with socketsor straps to receive wooden stakes to enable the car tobe loaded higher than its sides and ends, the lumber-shipper himself making and fitting the stakes intothe sockets or straps providedon the sides and ends of the carto re ceive them. The supplying and fitting of these wooden stakes to these sockets is not only a matter of great inconvenience and delay, but also a matter of considerable eX- pense, both on account of the high quality and cost of the lumber necessary for such use,

but also on account of the time and labo involved, the same amounting ordinarily to several dollars per car, as the stakes are not returned even in the remote contingency of the same car being sent directly back for another load to the same shipper. The wooden stakes, also, if not made from very carefullyselected lumber, are also liable to bend and permit the load to shift to one side and derail the car and wreck the train or to break, and thus cause loss and damage. These temporary wooden stakes also occasion difiiculty and inconvenience between the shipper and the railroad, as the weight of the empty car is ordinarily taken without the stakes, although the railroad companies make an allowance of five hundred pounds to cover the weight of the wooden stakes which the lumber-shipper makes, supplies, and adds to the car to adapt it to hold the load.

The object of my invention is to provide the gondola caritself with permanent metallic stakes of a strong, simple, eflicient, and durable construction which may be collapsed within the weight of the car-body when the stakes are not required for use and extended to the desired height when required for use.

My invention consists in the means I employ to practically accomplish this object or Specification of Letters Patent.

Ap li ati 'fil d .Pebruary 12, 1 906. Serial No. 300,573.

?aten'ted Augil', '1906.

result'that is to say, it .consists, unconnection withthe sides andendsofzagondolaecar body provided with a series rofsockets vor straps to receive stakes, of a :series of extensible :and collapsible ;metallic stakes, (composed each'of a plurality-of, hollow cylindric telescoping sections, thelower seotionifitting in thestakesockcts or straps ofithecarebody and provided with a longitudinal slot -.or groove, terminating at 'its upper end v in .a short transverse slot and a short downwardlyextending slot, and the next uppenadjacent or middle section vhaving'an externally -projecting lug -or pin adapted to fitiand slide in said groove of the lower section for .the purpose of holding the middle section extended in the lower section, and the upper-andimiddle sections having corresponding means for holding and lockingthe upper section: eXtend ed in the middle section, thevmiddle section being adapted to rotate in .the lower section andthe upper section to rotate-in the middle section. The upper section of each .of the stakes is also preferably provided with a flange or cap at its upperend tocover the ends of the sections belowit to prevent rain, snow, ice,-or dirt from entering between the sections and interfering with the operations.

My invention also consists in the novel construction of parts and devices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown and described, and .more ;particularly specified inthe claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is aside elevation of a gondola car embodying my invention, the figure, however, only showing one-half of the entire length of thecar-body. Fig. 2 is a plan-view. Fig. 3 is a detail verti-' cal section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial elevation, showing the bayonet-catch connection between the upper and lower sections of the stake. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the bayonet-catch connection between the middle and lower sections of the stake. 6 is a cross-section on line 6 6 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail longitudinal section on line 7 7 of Fig. 5.

In the drawings, A represents the body of a gondola car having the customary upright sides a and ends a, and upright posts If, fitting at their lower ends in postv sockets or straps (1 secured to the outer framework of the car-bod B B are the stake sockets or straps secured to the upright sides and ends of the car-body.

These stake sockets or straps may be of the Ordinary construction with which gondola cars have heretofore been provided for the reception of temporary wooden stakes.

D D are a series of extensible and collapsiblehollow cylindric metallic stakes, each composed of a lower section (1, a middle section (1, and an upper section (1 the several sections telescoping together, so that when the stakes are collapsed they only extend to the upper edge of the upright sides and ends of the car-body. Each of the stake-sections L dydfland d is of cylindric form, although, of course, the lower section d need necessarily r 5 only be of cylindric shape on the inside. The two lowermost cylindric stake-sections d d are each provided with a longitudinal slot or groove (i terminating near its upper end in a: short transverse slot or groove (1 and a short downwardly-extending slot or groove (i the, several grooves forming an ordinary bayonet-catch slot or groove, and each of the two uppermost stake-sections d d is provided near its lower end with a lug or pin (1",

2 5 which fits and works in the bayonet-catch slot or groove of the cooperating contiguous section. These bayonet-catch slots or grooves *1 jand'bayonet-catch lugs or pins thus form a simple andconvenient means for locking and 3 holding the several stake-sections in their extended positions. The middle stake-section (1 may preferably, also, be provided with one or more intermediate transverse slots or grooves d and depending slots or grooves (1 so that the upper stake-section may be only half or partially extended when desired. The bayonet-catch pins or lugs d are preferably in separate pieces from the stake-sections to which they are secured, so that by perma- 4o ne'ntly fixing these bayonet-catch lugs or pins in place after the stake-sections are assembled they will themselves serve as means Y for preventing the several stake-sections from being withdrawn from each other. The upper section (1 is preferably provided with a 4 5 cap or cover (1 having a lug or eye 61 for attachment of a wire or other tie F, by which the opposite stakes may be wired or tied together when desired. This cap d has a projecting flange (1 to overlap and cover the upper ends of the lower sections when the stake is collapsed.

I claim- 1. In a gondola car, the combination with the car-body provided with stake sockets or straps, of a series of collapsible and extensible metallic stakes, each having a plurality of cylindric telescoping sections provided with bayonet-catch devices for holding the sections extended, substantially as specified. 6o

-2. In a gondola car, the combination with the car-body provided with stake sockets or straps, of a series of collapsible and extensible metallic stakes, each having a plurality of cylindric telescoping sections provided with bayonet-catch devices for holding the sec tions extended, said bayonet-catch devices I also serving to prevent complete withdrawal of the sections from each other, substantially as specified. 7o

3. A collapsible and extensible gondola-car stake consisting of a plurality of cylindric metallic telesco ing sections provided with bayonet-catch evices for locking and holding the. sections in their extended positions, sub- 7 5 stantially as specified.

4. A collapsible and extensible gondola-car stake consisting of a plurality of cylindric metallic telesco ing sections provided with bayonet-catch evices for locking and holding the sections in their extended positions, said sections also having means for preventing withdrawal of the sections from each other, substantially as specified.

' RALPH G. HUTCHINS.

Witnesses:

PEARL ABRAMS. H. M. MUNDAY. 

